MAN BRAGS OF DELIBERATELY INFECTING 75 OTHERS WITH HIV

Gads, this is awful.

An Australian man (above) has been convicted of rape and deliberately infecting others with HIV after confessing he infected at least 75 men because he "gets off" on it...

Michael John Neal, 49, was found guilty today of 15 charges, including attempting to infect another person with HIV, rape and procuring sexual penetration by fraud.

The County Court jury returned their verdict this afternoon after four days of deliberations which also cleared Neal of 11 charges that alleged he had intentionally infected two men with the virus.

The court heard he was diagnosed as HIV positive in June 2000.

During a six-week trial the court was told Neal organised "conversion" sex parties and wore a genital piercing to make it easier to transmit the disease.

A number of witnesses gave evidence they had unprotected sex with Neal and he had failed to tell them of his HIV status.

In his opening address to the trial, prosecutor Mark Rochford said Neal had bragged about infecting 75 people and told one of his partners he "gets off'' on infecting people.

Mr Rochford said the Department of Human Services opened a file on Neal after his doctor contacted it in November 2001 about his sexual activities.

DHS sent Neal three letters from 2001-2006 about his sexual behaviour and Neal's doctor advised him of his responsibility to practise safe sex and his obligation to disclose his HIV status.

Barrister George Georgiou, for Neal, had argued his client did not believe he was infectious because his "viral loads" were low and was careful not to endanger others.

Outside court, Detective Sergeant Eric Harbis said today's verdict demonstrated the community would not tolerate such behaviour.

"It certainly sends a message that this sort of behaviour was not tolerated by his peers ... or the community,'' Sgt Harbis told reporters.

He said investigators were happy with the result, despite Neal being cleared of the most serious charges of causing two people to be infected with the virus.

Mr Neal had pleaded not guilty to 34 counts, including rape, deliberately causing another person to be infected with HIV, and attempting to infect.

"There would be a degree of disappointment to some extent, but overall we are very happy with the result. It was a team effort,'' he said.

UPDATE: SUSPECT ARRESTED IN MURDER OF TRANSGENDER MAN

In an update to our previous story, a Colorado man, Allen Ray Andrade has been arrested and subsequently confessed to murdering Angie Zapata (pictured top) after finding out the victim was transgender, callously admitting he "killed it".

Allen Ray Andrade, 31, faces several charges, including second-degree murder in the death of Justin Zapata, 20, who was known as Angie Zapata. The victim's bloodied, battered body was discovered in her apartment by her sister on July 17.

Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck said Wednesday that he is considering filing first-degree murder charges and may prosecute the death as a hate crime.

Andrade was arrested in the Denver suburb of Thornton, where he lives. Police responding to a noise complaint found him in Zapata's 2003 PT Cruiser, which had been missing.

Andrade told investigators that he met Zapata through MocoSpace, a social network designed primarily for cell phone users, according to an arrest affidavit released by Greeley police. The two met July 15 and spent the day together.

Andrade told investigators that Zapata performed oral sex on him but wouldn't let him touch her, according to the affidavit.

He said he also spent the night at Zapata's apartment, but in separate beds. The next day, Zapata left Andrade alone in her apartment, and Andrade noticed several photographs that led him to question Zapata's gender.

Andrade confronted Zapata when she got back. He grabbed Zapata's crotch area, felt male genitalia and became angry, the affidavit says. He told investigators that he took a fire extinguisher off a shelf, struck Zapata twice in the head and thought he "killed it."

"It's disgusting," Greeley Police Chief Jerry Garner said of Andrade's reference to Zapata. "It's a horrible thing to say."

Andrade told investigators he covered Zapata with a blanket and started gathering evidence he thought might link him to the crime when he heard gurgling sounds and noticed Zapata was sitting up. That's when he picked up the fire extinguisher and hit her again, police said. He left the scene in her car.

Zapata's sister, Monica Murguia, couldn't be reached for comment on Andrade's arrest. She told Denver's KDVR-TV that Andrade deserved to remain behind bars forever.

"He took a part of our heart, he did, when he killed her," she said after reading the arrest affidavit.

NASA ASTRONAUT CLAIMS ALIEN/UFO CONTACT COVER-UP

Wow, this one is a bit of a stunner.

A former NASA Apollo 13 astronaut, Edgar Mitchell, claims aliens have visited the earth, and that the government is covering it up...

And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades.

Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'

He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.

He claimed our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we would have been gone by now".

Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes during their 1971 mission.

"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said.

"It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it.

"I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit."

Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated.

He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction."

Mr Margerrison said: "I thought I'd stumbled on some sort of astronaut humour but he was absolutely serious that aliens are definitely out there and there's no debating it."

Officials from NASA, however, were quick to play the comments down.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.

'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.'

FAMILY SAYS MURDER OF TRANSGENDER VICTIM A HATE CRIME

The family of murder victim Justin Zapa (above) say they believe it was a hate-crime...


An investigation into the death of Justin Zapata, 18, of Greeley last week has taken a different step, as the victim is now known to have gone by the name of Angie Zapata and was living as a woman.

A search warrant for Zapata’s apartment in the 2000 block of 4th Street indicates she suffered fatal wounds to the head and face. She was apparently beaten to death.
Police are still looking for Zapata’s car, a green 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, with the Colorado license plate number of 441ORN.

Police did not say whether Zapata’s gender identity played a part in the homicide.
Zapata’s sister, Monica, was quoted in a press release from the Colorado Anti-Violence Program. “We want to get the whole community involved to find this person who hurt my sister and to let everyone be aware that all she wanted was to be beautiful. We want this violence to end. Transgender people deserve to be treated with respect.”

Zapata’s gender identity has caused problems for her in the past, according to Kelly Costello, director of Victim Services for the Colorado Anti-Violence Program. “But her family had been very supportive of her and were angry she had been called a man in past (news) stories.”

Zapata’s family was unavailable to confirm Costello’s statement.

In a press release quoted Tuesday on the TransGriot Web site, Kelly asked readers to contact The Tribune to complain about Zapata first being reported as a man. The newspaper has received about a dozen email complaints.

The Greeley police and the Weld County Coroner’s Office identify Zapata as a man.
Her obituary, however, shows the family accepted her as a woman.

A statewide search of criminal records shows Zapata was never arrested for a crime but had received a few traffic citations. She appeared three times in Weld County Court, all under the name Justin Zapata, but twice was identified as a male and once as a female.

The murder of transgenders has happened before, and it could be classified as a hate crime, Kelly said.

Zapata’s body was found July 17 in the apartment, according to the warrant. After family members were unable to reach her by telephone, her sister went to the house and got a key from the landlord. She found Zapata lying on the living room floor, covered by a blanket. She was already dead.

RUPAUL RACES OVER TO LOGO FOR NEW SHOW

One of my very favorite people, RuPaul, has a snazzy new show 'RuPaul's Drag Race' coming out on Cable's Logo channel soon...Woohoo!

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

“‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ will feature contestants competing to become ‘America’s next superstar drag queen,’ with RuPaul serving as host, mentor and judge. Online voters will help pick one of the contestants at RuPaulsDragRace.com. ‘RuPaul’s history-making turn as a groundbreaking glamour sensation opened the door for a new generation of drag superstars,’ said Brian Graden, president of MTV Networks Music Group Entertainment and Logo. ‘We hope to find the next one.’ The hourlong, six-episode series is expected to debut on Logo’s digital cable channel early next year. It’s produced by World of Wonder, with Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell serving as exec producers.”

Be sure to check out the shows website for more info, including a list of the finalists.

SERIAL KILLER OF GAYS SENTENCED TO LIFE

Yikes! A man in Stockholm has been convicted and sentenced for the murder of a gay man, and is suspected of attempting to murder and/or rob at least 3 others (see, it's a good thing I'm too poor to travel!)...


A 35-year-old man was convicted on Tuesday of murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and theft. He was given a life sentence.

All of the man’s victims were gay men.

“All the victims were, or are, homosexual. He has taken advantage of their sexual preferences and violated them,” said public prosecutor Fredrik Ingblad at the man's indictment hearing.

The man was convicted of killing a 43-year-old man in the victim’s apartment in the Stockholm suburb of Solna on December 28th of last year, and on the previous day of having robbed and attempted to kill a 44-year-old man on Södermalm in Stockholm.

In addition, the 35-year-old was convicted of having robbed a man in an apartment on Södermalm on December 9th and for having robbed yet another man on December 15th in Midsommarkransen south of Stockholm.

The 35-year-old made contact with the men through different internet chat sites. He gave the impression of wanting to have sex with them, whereupon it was decided he should meet the victims in their apartments.

When the men finally met, the appointments quickly descended into brutal violence.

The December 28th Solna rendezvous ended with the apartment owner dead from knife wounds.

During the attempted murder on Södermalm the day before, the victim received a number of threats and stab wounds, including one on the sole of his foot as he lay naked in bed with his hand tied behind his back.

Before the 35-year-old left the apartment he stole the victim’s wallet, which held 900 kronor ($150).

Nearly the same scene played out during the robbery of another man on Södermalm on December 9th. That time, the 35-year-old took the victim’s computer, several bottles of alcohol, and some jewellery.

The prosecutor has previously confirmed that the 35-year-old had earlier been sentenced for similar crimes and was serving his sentence until January 2007.

He has also been informed that he is suspected of the murder of a woman in Eslöv in southern Sweden in 2000 and may soon be indicted in that case as well.

STUDY SHOWS GAYS ARE TRENDIER

Proof that individuality in the gay community is becoming as rare as a straight man at a Cher Concert, a new study shows we homos have taken the lead over the breeders in our propensity to want to emulate the latest trend (I feel a profound sadness enveloping me).Then again, perhaps my pathological need to avoid broad social trends isn't any healthier (I think I miss a lot of good things that way)...oh well what can you do?


Is it any wonder?

Nearly half (48 percent) of gay and lesbian adults say they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends, compared with 38 percent of heterosexual adults, according to an online survey by Harris Interactive, conducted in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., writes MarketingCharts.

A similar survey in January 2007 found 38 percent of gay and lesbian adults reported that they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends (compared with 32 percent of heterosexual adults):

Among gay men, more than half (53 percent) report that they like to keep up with the latest styles and trends, compared with fewer than one-third (30 percent) of heterosexual men. In the earlier survey, 39 percent of gay men said so, compared with 32 percent of heterosexual males.

Gay and lesbian adults are also more likely to upgrade to the latest model compared with their heterosexual counterparts:

The latest survey shows 45 percent of gay and lesbian adults say they tend to upgrade to the latest model or version of a product, compared with one-third (33 percent) of heterosexual adults.

Among gay men, nearly half (49 percent) report they tend to upgrade to the latest model or version of a product, compared with 35 percent of heterosexual men.

"The LGBT community has long been known not just for trend-spotting but also trend-setting," said Wes Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications. "They are very savvy consumers and often motivated to spend a little extra on new products and upgrades."

HUGE CROCODILE VS GROUP OF LEOPARDS

Yeah, I know that yesterdays and today's 'battle of the beasts' postings aren't exactly my usual GLBT fare, but ya know, they are just plain fascinating. Plus, science has already shown there are gay animals (aside from us), so, odds are at least one of the leopards could be light in the loafers...

Anyhoo, again, the clip is G-Rated...no gore, so the Kiddies don't have to leave the room.

NEW HOPE FOR A CURE: SCIENTISTS FIND VULNERABILITY IN HIV VIRUS

Woohoo!

Here is a bit of good news about the fight against HIV/Aids....


New structural details illustrate how a promising class of antibodies may block human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection and reveal valuable clues for design of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.

The weak spot is hidden in the HIV envelope protein gp120. This protein is essential for HIV attachment to host cells, which initiate infection and eventually lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. Normally the body’s immune defenses can ward off viruses by making proteins called antibodies that bind the virus. However, HIV is a constantly changing and mutating virus, and the antibodies produced after infection do not control disease progression to AIDS. For the same reason, no HIV preventative vaccine that stimulates production of protective antibodies is available.

First reported in the early 1980s, HIV has spread across the world, particularly in developing countries. In 2007, 33 million people were living with AIDS, according to a report by the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

Paul’s group has engineered antibodies with enzymatic activity, also known as abzymes, which can attack the Achilles heel of the virus in a precise way. “The abzymes recognize essentially all of the diverse HIV forms found across the world. This solves the problem of HIV changeability. The next step is to confirm our theory in human clinical trials," Paul said.

Unlike regular antibodies, abzymes degrade the virus permanently. A single abzyme molecule inactivates thousands of virus particles. Regular antibodies inactivate only one virus particle, and their anti-viral HIV effect is weaker.

Carl Hanson, Ph.D., who heads the Retrovirus Diagnostic Section of the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory of the California Department of Public Health, has shown that the abzymes neutralize infection of human blood cells by diverse strains of HIV from various parts of the world. Human blood cells are the only cells that HIV infects.

“This is an entirely new finding. It is a novel antibody that appears to be very effective in killing the HIV virus. The main question now is if this can be applied to developing vaccine and possibly used as a microbicide to prevent sexual transmission,” said David C. Montefiori, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research & Development at Duke University Medical Center. The abzymes are now under development for HIV immunotherapy by infusion into blood. They could also be used to guard against sexual HIV transmission as topical vaginal or rectal formulations.

“HIV is an international priority because we have no defense against it,” Paul said. “Left unchecked, it will likely evolve into even more virulent forms. We have learned a lot from this research about how to induce the production of the protective abzymes on demand. This is the Holy Grail of HIV research -- development of a preventative HIV vaccine.”

STUNNING FOOTAGE OF LEOPARD VS CROCODILE

Here is some footage by photographer Hal Brindley of a to-the-death battle between a crocodile and leopard in a South African Game preserve. Don't worry, it's pretty much gore-free (a bit sad though...)

"The giant cat raced out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby. A terrible and bloody struggle ensued. Eventually, onlookers were amazed to see the leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back. With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile's huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat. Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it. In the past, there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed."

CYBILL SHEPHERD SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE

Long time gay-rights advocate (waaay back before it was popular to be), star of lesbian TV hit The L-Word and critical darling Psych, Cybill Shepherd spoke out once again in support of us homos to TV guide:

I'm thrilled to see [gay] couples getting married in California, and I'm gonna do what I can to keep it that way. Because if you're voting against gay marriage, you need to get a life.

Awwww. I'm sensing a crush developing. Why can't I find a fella as good as Cybill? If she we a gay man, I'd marry her!

BIG BROTHER'S GAY COWBOY MAKES RACIST REMARKS ABOUT HOUSE MATE

See! I'm an equal opportunity bad-behavior-reporter (there must be a more eloquent way of putting that...)

Here is video of Big Brother's gay cowboy Steven making disparaging remarks about his house mate Libra..

JOHN MCCAIN AGAINST GAY ADOPTION

I don't think many will be surprised to hear this, considering his previous stand on GLBT issues such as Gay Marriage (against), Don't ask, Don't Tell, and AIDS/HIV Prevention, but John McCain recently told the New York Times he doesn't feel children ought to be adopted by us homos...


Mr. McCain, who with his wife, Cindy, has an adopted daughter, said flatly that he opposed allowing gay couples to adopt. “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption,” he said.

HOMOPHOBIC ATTORNEY GENERAL ACCUSED OF GAY AFFAIR

Towleroad exposes more political Hypocracy...

A spokesman for the Alabama Governor's office has denied that Alabama Attorney General Troy King is preparing to resign as rumors swirl of an explosive scandal involving King, his wife, and a male aide:

"The word is, according to multiple sources in Montgomery and elsewhere, that King was recently caught by his wife in a gay affair with a male aide and banished from his home. According to Tara Hutchison in the executive office of the governor they have heard of no plans in the works for King’s resignation. She said she had not heard that he had been kicked out of his home because of a gay affair. Governor Bob Riley’s press office had refused to return multiple phone calls from this independent press outlet even though some sources accuse Riley of perpetrating the leak. The attorney general’s press office also declined to return phone calls seeking comment."

King is apparently a big homophobe who called homosexuality "the downfall of society" in a 1992 editorial in the U. of Alabama's Crimson White. No details as of his anti-gay efforts since then but it's not likely he changed. More on his positions at the end of this post.

Left in Alabama writes: "I'm almost sorry to see him go -- Troy was like a caricature of the Republican party. Never met a death sentence he didn't like, against sexual gratification, publicity hound, etc. ... life as an Alabama blogger will be harder without Troy King."

AFA BOYCOTTS MCDONALD'S RESTAURANTS FOR SUPPORTING THE GAYS

Gaks! The AFA is at it again.

In an effort to turn the 'culture wars' (their words) in their favor, the group is now boycotting McDonald's restaurants for being too gay friendly...

The anti-gay non-profit began ramping up efforts last May, when they blasted the fast food chain’s commitment to queer causes, like their sponsorship of pride parades. Not ones to be bullied, McDonald’s executives refuses to back down, which has since spurred the AFA to up the ante a bit.

Realizing that their members aren’t the most intellectually evolved, the AFA has spelled out their beef with the beloved American restaurant:

What the boycott of McDonald’s IS NOT about
• This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals.
• It is not about homosexuals eating at McDonald’s.
• It is not about how homosexual employees are treated.

What the boycott of McDonald’s IS about
It is about McDonald’s, as a corporation, refusing to remain neutral in the culture wars. McDonald’s has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of their corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage.

WISCONSIN GAYS FACE PRISON IF THEY MARRY

Despite the zesty picture I posted above, I want to warn my fellow gays: prison is not like it is in gay porn movies (or so I'm told:). It's not full of hunky guards and amorous fellow inmates. It's an awful place full of violence and scratchy , unflattering jumpsuits (I thought that might get your attention). So, armed with that knowledge, you may want to avoid getting married to your GLBT partner if you live in Wisconsin...

Madison, Wisconsin) Same-sex couples from Wisconsin who go to California to marry could find themselves facing criminal charges when they return home.

A little known Wisconsin law makes it a criminal offense to enter into a marriage outside the state if that marriage were illegal in Wisconsin.

While the law was passed decades ago to prevent underage couples from crossing state lines to marry it could be used against same-sex couples the Madison Capital Times reported Wednesday.

The penalty is a fine of up to $10,000, nine months in prison, or both.

Wisconsin law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Same-sex marriage became legal in California following a state Supreme Court ruling that went into effect June 17. Unlike Massachusetts which limits gay marriage only to out-of-state couples whose marriages would be legal at home the California ruling opened up marriage to anyone.

LGBT civil rights group Fair Wisconsin is warning couples they could face arrest if they marry in California.

It is not known how many gay and lesbian couples from the state have wed in California. One couple from Madison who are preparing to marry say they are willing to take the chance.

"It would be interesting to be prosecuted," Bob Klebba who is planning to marry longtime partner David Waugh told the Capital Times. "It would really bring up a reaction in the public sentiment."

In 2006, Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Fair Wisconsin said it is now focusing its efforts on seeking passage of bills granting recognition of domestic partnerships.

Spokesperson Glenn Carlson said he is hopeful of getting a bill passed in the next session of the legislature.

HIV RATES SKYROCKET

I wish I had gotten this out before Minneapolis' pride, but none the less, here it is...

HIV rates are on the increase among the young folks, the ones who don't have the horrors of the 80's and 90's HIV outbreak fresh in the minds. The same ones who see the ads in the gay magazines for various HIV medications featuring hunky, healthy men seemingly unaffected by their condition. I think HIV is considered about as dangerous as herpes these days. A big mistake.

Ok, I'm done preaching, here is the poop:

The number of young homosexual men being newly diagnosed with HIV infection is rising by 12 percent a year, with the steepest upward trend in young black men, according to a new report.

The double-digit increase in young gay men is about 10 times higher than in the homosexual community overall, where the number of new infections is going up about 1.5 percent a year.

The report, released yesterday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears to confirm impressions that a "second-wave" AIDS epidemic is underway in gay America.

"These men represent a new generation that has not been personally affected by AIDS in the same way that their older peers were," said Richard Wolitski, acting director of HIV-AIDS prevention at CDC.

The new data cover 33 states. Whether they reflect the entire country is unknown, although the states include New York, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, all of which have large numbers of HIV-infected people.

The study found that homosexual men were the only risk group in which the number of new infections rose annually from 2001 through 2006. (Epidemiologists prefer the term "men who have sex with men," or MSM, because many of them do not identify themselves as homosexual or gay.) In contrast, injecting-drug users, homosexual men who injected drugs, and heterosexuals each showed declines in new infections over that period.

In the 13-to-24-year-old group, the average annual increase was 12 percent, compared with a 1 percent decline in 25-to-44-year-olds, and a 3 percent rise in gay men 45 and older.

In the youngest age bracket, the yearly rise averaged 8 percent among Hispanics, 9 percent among whites and 15 percent among blacks.

Previous studies have found that gay black men on average have fewer sex partners, are less likely to use drugs and are no more likely to have unprotected intercourse than gay white men. Consequently, their higher rate of infection does not appear to arise from riskier behavior.

Instead, it reflects the higher prevalence of HIV -- as well as syphilis and gonorrhea, which increase a person's susceptibility to HIV -- in the black population.

"When you see a 15 percent yearly increase, that is an epidemic that is out of control," said Phill Wilson, head of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles. "And yet we don't see a response that recognizes it is an epidemic out of control."

Ron Simmons, president of Us Helping Us, an AIDS service organization for gay black men, said the revolution in antiretroviral therapy in the last decade appears to have lessened the fear of HIV infection.

"I can remember going to a funeral every four or five days. Now, if you talk to some of these young men, they say, 'If I do get infected, I will simply take the blue pill or the pink pill, like my friend,' " he said.

A study published online last month in the American Journal of Public Health showed that prevention messages tailored for gay black men can work.

Researchers recruited "opinion leaders" in the gay communities of three cities in North Carolina. The people were trained to talk to their peers not only about ways to protect themselves from HIV but also about other issues, such as homophobia in some black churches and racism.

A year later, the frequency of unprotected high-risk intercourse was down 30 percent in the three gay communities, and the number or people who said they always used condoms was up a similar amount.

The CDC is providing the strategy, called "d-UP!" -- slang for defend yourself -- to 200 organizations around the country later this year.