Texas students who supported Parkland become victims of own shooting

Only weeks ago, a dozen students from Santa Fe High School in Texas offered support for survivors of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting by participating in a nationwide walkout seeking stricter gun control. But they faced their own hell when a gunman opened fire at their school on Friday.

It was Parkland students who were declaring their solidarity with teens in Santa Fe after a 17-year-old armed with a shotgun and a pistol opened fire at the Houston-area school, killing 10 people. It was the nation's deadliest such attack since the Florida massacre that killed 17 and energized the teen-led gun-control movement.

Sophomore Kyle Harris, who took part in the walkout for Parkland last month, was in first period when a fire alarm went off. Then, he heard teachers urging him to flee.

"The scariest thing is hearing a teacher who knows your name personally call you by your name and tell you to run," Harris tweeted.

The gunman has been identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who is being held on a capital murder charge.

Those who knew him described him as a quiet teenager who liked to dance with a Greek church group and to play American football. His social media posts indicated that he had an interest in weapons and harming others.

A Facebook post on April 30 showed a black T-shirt with the words "Born to Kill" printed in white.

Governor Greg Abbott said journal entries by Mr Pagourtzis showed that he not only wanted to commit a mass shooting but also “commit suicide after the shooting”. But after killing a teacher and nine fellow students he “did not have the courage to commit suicide,” he said.

The shooter spared people he liked so he could have his story told, a charging document obtained by Reuters showed.

The student was armed with a shotgun and a .38 revolver, both taken from his father, possibly without the parent's knowledge.

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Florida shooting survivors at Dubai education forum call for ‘improved school safety’

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A substitute teacher who relatives say had a "lust for life" and a foreign exchange student from Pakistan are among the first confirmed victims of mass shooting at a Texas high school.

Family members confirmed that substitute teacher Cynthia Tisdale was among the victims killed in the shooting.

A leader at a program for foreign exchange students and the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. sent a letter to students in the program confirming that exchange student Sabika Sheikh was killed in the shooting.

Among those injured Friday are a school resource officer and a sophomore baseball player. School police officer John Barnes was shot in the arm when he confronted the gunman.

Sophomore baseball player Rome Shubert told the Houston Chronicle that he heard "three loud pops" before the attacker fled into the hall. Shubert says he realized he had been wounded as he was running out the back door.

It was the second mass shooting in Texas in less than a year. A man armed with an assault rifle shot dead 26 people during Sunday prayers at a rural church last November.

Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush

Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”

A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.

“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”

COMPANY%20PROFILE

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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD

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Kandahar%20

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Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel

%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

How to tell if your child is being bullied at school

Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety

Shows signs of depression or isolation

Ability to sleep well diminishes

Academic performance begins to deteriorate

Changes in eating habits

Struggles to concentrate

Refuses to go to school

Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings

Begins to use language they do not normally use

Business Insights

Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.