tied for first place

THE thing that I am most grateful for in this life is technology. I consider this a gift from God. God chose for me to be born at that time to these parents in that place. And it is not possible for me to express how happy I am about that decision and all its specifics.

My exposure to film and photography and cameras goes back to the very beginning. I was I think 5 or 6 years old and present when this commercial was filmed. It was filmed at my house. I hung out with Gil Gerard all day in between shots. He burnt a 4th hole in my recorder with his cigarette to allow it to play more notes. I have never been successful with musical instruments nor have I tried. But the image of that day in burned into my head. I was absolutely fascinated by the tracks they set up for the camera platform to roll on.

All my work with photos and footage today is basically just using the cameras and lenses to see what they can give me. I’m not interested in making a dime off of my shooting, my services and any help or encouragement I can give. It has never been the case and it is important to me that that remain the case. I am only passing on what was given to me in teaching and time spent with me on. I cannot keep it unless I insist on giving it away.

This is one of the best cameras ever made. You can spend $5000 the newest models from any of the major manufacturers and unless you have a specific need professionally for the features those have that this doesn’t you should stick with a camera like this.

The death toll from yesterday’s vehicle-ramming attack at a street festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, rises to eleven with at least 20 others injured, making the attack tied for the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history. (CTV News) 

Archaeologists from the University of Barcelona confirm that the remains discovered in Valls, Catalonia, Spain, correspond to the ancient Iberian city of Cissa, the scene of the Battle of Cissa during the Second Punic War(RTVE) 

Polish investigators start excavating a World War II mass grave in Puźniki [pl]. It contains victims of the Volhynia massacres, when Ukrainian nationalists murdered around 100,000 civilians who were predominantly Polish. (NOS) 

Three people are killed and two are injured in a mass shooting after a quarrel outside a pizzeria in Monreale, Province of Palermo, Italy. (PalermoToday) 

The Pakistani Armed Forces kill 54 Pakistani Taliban militants attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan near North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, allegedly to carry out high-profile terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. (CTV News) 

The death toll from yesterday’s explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran, rises to 40 while the injury count increases to 1,205. (Iran International) 

The tomb of Pope Francis at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome, Italy, is opened for public viewing and photos are released by Vatican City. More than 13,000 people enter the basilica to view the tomb and pay their respects, while several thousand others remain outside. (ABC News) 

China seizes the disputed Sandy Cay Reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. (Financial Times) 

Wisconsin circuit court judge Hannah Dugan is arrested by United States federal law enforcement on obstruction charges after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest. (CNBC) 

Indian and Pakistani military troops exchange gunfire across the Line of Control during an ongoing diplomatic crisis caused by a terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir. (Al Jazeera) 

Severe flooding is reported along the Jhelum River in Azad Kashmir after Indian authorities release a large amount of water without prior warning. The incident follows the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by the Indian government. (24 News HD) 

Two women are seriously injured in an attack on a road when a 38-year-old man attacks them with a crossbow and a firearm before shooting and injuring himself in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Counter Terrorism Policing is currently investigating the incident. (BBC News) 

Nine people are killed and several others injured, after a car is driven through a crowd at a Philippine-Canadian festival in VancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada(Al Jazeera) 

At least twenty-five people are killed and over 800 others are injured in an explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP) 

Three people are killed when a Mooney M20 crashes a mile south of Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in Tennessee, United States. (WKRN-TV) 

A man is killed and two women are wounded as an 80-year-old driver loses control over his car and plunges into a group of people celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Italy in Lanciano, Province of Chieti. (Chicago Tribune) 

Four people are killed and four others are injured, including one critically, when a dump truck crashes into six pedestrians working on powerlines in Eden, North Carolina, United States. (WFMY-TV) 

The Israel Defense Forces say they have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by Houthi forces. (Reuters) 

Twelve Nigerien troops are killed in clashes with militants near the village of Sakoira, Niger. (Reuters) 

At least fourteen people are killed and over 700 others are injured in an explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP) 

The funeral of Pope Francis is held in St. Peter’s SquareVatican City. 400,000 people are in attendance, including more than 130 world leaders. (ABC News) (CNN) (The Guardian) 

Lieutenant general Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, is assassinated in a car bombing in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (CNN) 

The German government cuts its economic growth forecast to zero, with the Deutsche Bundesbank estimating a future recession. Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck accuses U.S. President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs of being the primary reason for Germany’s continued economic crisis. (DW) 

The World Food Programme (WFP) claims that their entire food stock inside the Gaza Strip is empty due to the Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid. WFP aid kitchens are expected to run out of food in a few days, and thousands of Palestinians are expected to die from starvation. The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs calls the situation “probably the worst” since the beginning of the war in October 2023. (DW) 

Cardinals seal the coffin of Pope Francis in a private liturgical rite led by Camerlengo Kevin Farrell at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. (CNN) 

A man is killed and two women are wounded as an 80-year-old driver loses control over his car and plunges into a group of people celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Italy in LancianoProvince of Chieti.  (Chicago Tribune) 

A Royal Thai Police Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft crashes while conducting a test flight for parachuting training near Hua Hin Airport in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand, killing all six people on board. (The Nation) 

Mw 6.3 earthquake strikes Esmeraldas, Ecuador, shutting down power, damaging 800 buildings and injuring 32 people. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

Former Brazilian president Fernando Collor de Mello is arrested following a corruption conviction by Supreme Federal Court justice Alexandre de Moraes(AP) 

The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft launches successfully from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, carrying three astronauts on a six-month mission to install space debris protection in the Tiangong space station and carry out scientific experiments on solar and cosmic ray radiation on planarians(Reuters) (DW) 

pizzaballa

Wisconsin circuit court judge Hannah Dugan is arrested by United States federal law enforcement on obstruction charges after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest. (CNBC) 

Indian and Pakistani military troops exchange gunfire across the Line of Control during an ongoing diplomatic crisis caused by a terrorist attack in India-administered Kashmir. (Al Jazeera) 

Severe flooding is reported along the Jhelum River in Azad Kashmir after Indian authorities release a large amount of water without prior warning. The incident follows the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by the Indian government. (24 News HD) 

China seizes the disputed Sandy Cay Reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. (Financial Times) 

The funeral of Pope Francis is held in St. Peter’s SquareVatican City. 400,000 people are in attendance, including more than 130 world leaders. (ABC News) (CNN) (The Guardian) 

The Israel Defense Forces say they have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by Houthi forces. (Reuters) 

Twelve Nigerien troops are killed in clashes with militants near the village of Sakoira, Niger. (Reuters) 

At least fourteen people are killed and over 700 others are injured in an explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP) 

Lieutenant general Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, is assassinated in a car bombing in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (CNN) 

The German government cuts its economic growth forecast to zero, with the Deutsche Bundesbank estimating a future recession. Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck accuses U.S. President Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs of being the primary reason for Germany’s continued economic crisis. (DW) 

The World Food Programme (WFP) claims that their entire food stock inside the Gaza Strip is empty due to the Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid. WFP aid kitchens are expected to run out of food in a few days, and thousands of Palestinians are expected to die from starvation. The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs calls the situation “probably the worst” since the beginning of the war in October 2023. (DW) 

Cardinals seal the coffin of Pope Francis in a private liturgical rite led by Camerlengo Kevin Farrell at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. (CNN) 

A man is killed and two women are wounded as an 80-year-old driver loses control over his car and plunges into a group of people celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Italy in LancianoProvince of Chieti.  (Chicago Tribune) 

A Royal Thai Police Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft crashes while conducting a test flight for parachuting training near Hua Hin Airport in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand, killing all six people on board. (The Nation) 

Mw 6.3 earthquake strikes Esmeraldas, Ecuador, shutting down power, damaging 800 buildings and injuring 32 people. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

Former Brazilian president Fernando Collor de Mello is arrested following a corruption conviction by Supreme Federal Court justice Alexandre de Moraes(AP) 

The End Saturday 

Above posted April 26th 

The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft launches successfully from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, carrying three astronauts on a six-month mission to install space debris protection in the Tiangong space station and carry out scientific experiments on solar and cosmic ray radiation on planarians(Reuters) (DW) 

Four people are killed and four others are injured, including one critically, when a dump truck crashes into six pedestrians working on powerlines in Eden, North Carolina, United States. (WFMY-TV) 

24-year-old Robert E. Crimo is sentenced to 21 life sentences for killing seven people and injuring 48 others in a mass shooting during the 2022 Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, United States. (CNN) 

Israeli settlers in the West Bank shoot and injure five Palestinians and set fire to several homes and farmland. (Al Jazeera) 

Three children are killed and several others are injured after an Israeli airstrike hits a tent encampment in the Nuseirat refugee camp, resulting in a fire which spread through parts of the camp. Altogether, at least 45 people are killed from today’s attacks. (Al Jazeera) 

Twelve people are killed and around 90 others, including children, are injured in a Russian KN-23 ballistic missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine. (Reuters) 

Al-Shabaab militants seize the town of Wargaadhi and its military base in Middle Shabelle, Somalia. More than 40 militants and twelve clan fighters are killed in related combat. (Al Jazeera) 

The Beninese government announces that 54 soldiers were killed in an attack by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) in the north of the country last week, after previously announcing only eight soldiers were killed. JNIM claims 70 soldiers were killed in the attack. (BBC) 

Pakistan closes its land border and shared airspace with India indefinitely following the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, India-administered Kashmir, several days prior, and India’s executive actions against Pakistan yesterday. (DW) 

A joint commission of the Mexican Senate approves a proposal submitted by President Claudia Sheinbaum that would grant the government the power to block and censor digital platforms, including social networks, websites, and apps, indefinitely and without a court order. The proposal will be sent to the government-aligned majority in Congress for further approval. (Milenio) 

A 19-year-old is arrested and charged with arson on suspicion of starting an ongoing large wildfire that has burned 15,000 acres in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. (ABC News) 

One student is killed and three others are critically injured in a mass stabbing at a private school in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. A 15-year-old student is detained. (Daily Mirror) 

Nine people are killed and 63 others, including six children, are injured by a missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine. (NDTV) 

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in is indicted on charges of alleged corruption and bribery for receiving 217 million (US$152,000) in connection with his son-in-law’s employment at airline Eastar Jet in Thailand. (DW) 

The Palestinian Central Council votes 170–1 to establish the position of Vice President of the State of Palestine. (Reuters) 

In American football, the NFL draft is held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the Tennessee Titans selecting quarterback Cam Ward from the Miami Hurricanes as the first overall pick. (The Washington Post) 

The International Coral Reef Initiative announces that over 84% of the world’s coral reefs are affected by a coral bleaching event since 2023, considered the most intense on record. (AP) 

The Jordanian interior ministry bans all activities of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood organization in the country, seizes the organization’s assets, and closes all of its offices, including its political wing in the country, the Islamic Action Front. The Jordanian government links the group to sabotage plots and accuses it of “destabilizing” the country. (DW) 

The International Coral Reef Initiative announces that over 84% of the world’s coral reefs are affected by a coral bleaching event since 2023, considered the most intense on record. (AP) 

The body of Pope Francis is moved from Domus Sanctae Marthae to St. Peter’s Basilica, and lies in state for a 3-day public viewing. (CBS News) 

Roughly 5,000 residents are evacuated, the Garden State Parkway is shut down and a business is destroyed after a large wildfire burns 12,500 acres (51 km2) in Lacey Township, New Jersey, United States. (NBC News)

Russian forces launch a drone strike on a bus in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, killing nine people. (The Guardian) 

Mw 6.2 earthquake with an epicenter in the Sea of Marmara strikes İstanbul, Turkey, injuring at least 359 people. (AP) 

India announces several measures targeting Pakistan including closing the main border crossing linking the two countries, suspending the Indus Water Treaty, and expelling Pakistani diplomats after the attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir yesterday. (BBC News) 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the staff of the U.S. State Department will be cut by 15 percent, and that the office of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights will be abolished. (NPR) 

Cardinal Farrell, as Camerlengo, becomes the acting head of Vatican City until the next papal conclave in May. (NPR) 

Syria detains two senior members of the paramilitary organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad(Reuters) 

ARK Invest becomes the first US-based asset manager to gain exposure to the Solana blockchain through an ETF investment after Canada approves several spot Solana ETFs. (Coin Market Cap) 

Israeli airstrikes kill at least 25 people across the Gaza Strip. (RTÉ News) 

At least 28 people are killed and dozens of others are injured when separatists open fire on people in PahalgamAnantnag district, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir(The New Indian Express) (The Guardian) 

Russian guided bombs target Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, killing one person and wounding 26 others, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. (Reuters) 

Seven people are killed in a mass stabbing when a man enters a bakery and attacks sleeping employees in Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines. (GMA Network) 

Interpol rescues 33 West Africans, including people from Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Ghana, from human trafficking rings in the Ivory Coast. (AP) 

Main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam is disqualified from the 2025 Ivorian presidential election. (BBC News) 

The Islamic State claims responsibility for a series of deadly attacks targeting Christians and security forces in Borno and Adamawa, Nigeria earlier this month that killed at least nine people and injured several others. (Reuters) 

Klaus Schwab steps down as leader of the World Economic Forum, which he founded in 1971. (DW) 

In long-distance runningKenyan road runner John Korir wins the men’s competition at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:04:45 which, along with his brother Wesley Korir‘s win in 2012, makes them the first and only set of brothers to win the event. Fellow Kenyan athlete Sharon Lokedi wins the women’s competition with a time of 2:17:22 and sets the new course record, surpassing Buzunesh Deba‘s record in 2014.  (WBZ-TV) 

the marathon

In long-distance running, Kenyan road runner John Korir wins the men’s competition at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:04:45 which, along with his brother Wesley Korir‘s win in 2012, makes them the first and only set of brothers to win the event. Fellow Kenyan athlete Sharon Lokedi wins the women’s competition with a time of 2:17:22 and sets the new course record, surpassing Buzunesh Deba‘s record in 2014.  (CBS News) 

Following Pope Francis’s death, cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo, becomes the acting head of Vatican City until the next papal conclave in May. (NPR) 

The Camerlengo announces that Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88 years old early on Easter Monday(Euronews)  

The perpetrator of the racially motivated shooting that killed 23 people and injured 22 others at a Walmart building in El Paso, Texas, United States, in 2019, 26-year-old Patrick Wood Crusius, pleads guilty to state charges and is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole to avoid the death penalty. (USA Today) 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces that the Trump administration is ready to abandon diplomatic efforts and “move on” if it is not possible to end the war in “a matter of days”. (CNN) 

U.S. federal authorities charge a student at Boston’s University of Massachusetts with unlawful possession of a destructive device and malicious damage by fire after the student is arrested for setting fire to two Tesla Cybertrucks and damaging charging stations in Kansas City. (The Independent) 

Sony a7R – Zeiss Biogon 35mm f/2 – 36MP Full-frame – 1/200s ISO 400

U.S. authorities arrest a man in Colorado Springs for his “Declaration of War” threatening Elon Musk, Tesla owners, and members of Donald Trump’s cabinet. The declaration, sent to various media outlets, detailed specific attack methods and aimed at Musk’s elimination. (CBS News) 

At least 178 people are arrested in Pakistan after over 10 group attacks on KFC restaurants occur during protests against United States support for Israel in the Gaza war, with one employee shot dead. (Al Jazeera)

At least one person, the perpetrator, is killed and six others are injured, in an arson attack when a man sets fire to an apartment building with a flamethrower in Bongcheon-dongSeoul, South Korea. (Yonhap) 

The rebel Houthis group claims that twelve people are killed and thirty others are injured in airstrikes on a market and a residential zone in Farwa District, Sanaa, Yemen. (Le Monde) 

The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces capture the town of Nasir in Upper Nile State from the Nuer White Army(Reuters) 

The death toll from drownings during the week across Australia increases to seven after a fisherman was killed after being swept off rocks near Sydney. Three people remain missing and one other was injured. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

The death toll of the capsized Hong Hai 16 off Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, rises to nine. Two others are still missing. (Manila Bulletin) 

Hugo Calderano of Brazil wins the Table Tennis World Cup over Lin Shidong by 4–1 sets, becoming the first athlete from the Americas to win the competition. (CNN Brazil) 

Three people are killed and ten others are injured, including one critically and four firefighters, in a large house fire in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York, United States. (WABC-TV)

The death toll from clashes between cattle herders and farmers earlier this week in Benue State, central Nigeria, rises to 56. (Barron’s) 

Four people are killed when a Cessna 180 Skywagon aircraft clips powerlines and crashes into a field southwest of Coles County Memorial Airport in Trilla, Illinois, United States. (WCIA) 

The death toll of the capsized Hong Hai 16 sand barge four days ago off Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, rises to seven. Four others are still missing. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

Two people are killed and three others are rescued after two vehicles are swept off a road during flooding in southeast Moore, Oklahoma, United States. (KWTV-DT) 

Four executives at a company building the State Audit Office skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand, are arrested on suspicion of breaching the Foreign Business Act. (CTV News) 

A tavern owner is killed and four others are injured in a mass shooting during a live music performance at a tavern in Marble Hall, Limpopo, South Africa. No arrests were made. (SABC) 

Seven people are killed when a passenger jeepney on a family tour crashes into a roadside canal in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines. (Xinhua)

Three people, including a lay minister, are killed and seventeen others are injured when a car driven by an Indian national driving under the influence hits a tricycle and crashes into a procession in Bacolod, Philippines. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

The Houthis say that American airstrikes targeted the Ras Isa port in Yemen, killing 74 people and wounding 171 others. This marks the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting the Houthis. (AP) 

One man is killed in Karachi, Pakistan, after a mob of radical Islamists belonging to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan attack the Ahmadiyya community after Friday prayer. (DW) 

The death toll of the fire and capsizing of the wooden boat HB Kongolo on the Congo River in Democratic Republic of the Congo three days ago rises to 148. Hundreds of others remain missing. (Reuters) 

At least three people are killed when a small plane crashes into the Platte River in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. (KLKN) 

The death toll of the capsized Hong Hai 16 sand barge three days ago off Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, rises to six. Five others are still missing. (GMA)